1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to a radio frequency (RF) front-end for a wireless communication system. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a multi-band RF front-end that uses a programmable logic chip to interface between the baseband chip and other RF front-end components, which increases flexibility and reduces cost.
2. Related Art
Traditional wireless communication systems are usually designed for a specific standard, such as GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA), Wi-Fi® (registered trademark of Wi-Fi alliance of Austin, Tex.), LTE (Long Term Evolution), just to name a few. Current demand for the convergence of wireless services, so that users can access different standards from the same wireless device, is driving the development of multi-standard and multi-band transceivers, which are capable of transmitting/receiving radio signals in the entire wireless communication spectrum (most are in a frequency range of from 300 MHz to 3.6 GHz).
The multi-standard requirement means an increased number of components (such as filters, switches, amplifiers, etc.) and, thus, an increased number of control signals sent from baseband chip to the RF front-end.